This invention is related to the field of electronically controlled devices, and more particularly to a video recording device.
A video cassette recorder (VCR) is typically coupled to an incoming cable service port and to a television set. A conventional VCR provides a user with the ability to perform two major functions: recording incoming television programs from the cable service port and playing videotapes for viewing on the television. The videotapes that are played can be, for example, tapes of television shows previously recorded by the VCR, professionally produced movies purchased or rented by the user, or recorded tapes produced by the user on a camcorder.
A feature typically available on a VCR provides its user with the ability to program the VCR to record a television show at a future date and time. Further, some VCRs can be programmed to record at regular intervals, such as at the same time each week in order to record the user""s favorite television show. For example, a user can program such a VCR to record the television show appearing on channel 4 each Thursday from 9:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. This feature, when utilized, relieves the user of the burden of programming the VCR each week.
Each of the above described VCR features is programmed by the user when the user is in proximity to the VCR. For example, the user can program the VCR by pressing buttons on the VCR. Alternatively, the user can program the VCR by pointing a remote control device at the VCR while following a script appearing on an accompanying television set. A conventional VCR, however, does not provide the user with the ability to program the VCR when the user is not proximate thereto.
For example, if the user of the VCR is away from home when the user remembers that the user forgot to program the VCR to record a particular program, the user may then attempt to get home in time to program the VCR, or may elect to miss out on the user""s favorite program this week. In another example, a user may be at someone else""s house for a party, and may realize that the noise and activity of the party are preventing the user from seeing an important show or sporting event. If the user""s VCR is not previously programmed to record the important show, the user has a choice of leaving the party to watch the show and/or program the user""s VCR, or to miss the important show. In yet another example, a user may be away from home when the user remembers that the user left an important tape in the user""s VCR, and that the VCR is programmed to record an upcoming show. According to this scenario, the user""s VCR may record over the important tape unless the user can get home in time to reprogram the VCR. In each of these scenarios, the user can benefit from the ability to program the user""s VCR when the user is not proximate to the user""s VCR, such as when the user is not at home.
According to the invention, a user can program the user""s VCR when away from home by calling the user""s home telephone number and remotely interacting with a telephone answering device which is adapted for programming the VCR in accordance with the invention. A telephone answering device according to the invention thus includes an incoming call signal decoder adapted to decode a signal contained within an incoming call, and an output device adapted to output a control signal to a remotely controlled device in response to the decoded signal. In an alternative embodiment, a method of programming a video recording device includes steps of calling, from a telephone at a remote location, to a telephone answering device, and providing a programming signal to the telephone answering device, wherein the telephone answering device responds to the programming signal to program the video recording device.